SEC Basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats landed their point guard of the future when TyTy Washington joined their 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday.

"There is a big challenge at Kentucky for playing time and a leadership role," Washington said, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "I always liked a challenge."

The 6'3" Washington checks in as a 5-star prospect and the No. 21 overall player, No. 3 point guard and No. 2 player from Arizona in the class of 2021, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He announced on April 17 that he was down to the six schools of Arizona, Oregon, Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky and LSU.

"I just felt like those six, each of the school's situation fits me best," he said, per Chris Fisher of 247Sports. "The style of play, location, opportunity to come in and play right away, the relationship I have with the coaches. Not just the assistants but the head coaches."

While the point guard decided between those schools, there was a time when he was part of Creighton's 2021 class.

However, Washington told Kyle Tucker of The Athletic he decommitted from the Bluejays because head coach Greg McDermott said "I need everyone to stay on the plantation" and was suspended for the comment.

"It was definitely the controversy," he said. "I really wanted to attend Creighton. It felt like the situation and the plan Coach McDermott had for me was really good. So it was kind of heartbreaking once I found out what he said. I just felt like the day and age we're living in—a police officer just killed another young Black man for no reason—him saying something like that, it's just not right."

It was a major loss for Creighton on the court, as Washington is one of the most productive playmakers in his entire class.

Fisher noted he averaged 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game behind 48 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from three-point range as the Max Preps Arizona Player of the Year as a high school senior.

His ability to shoot from the outside, facilitate when defenders collapse on his penetration, rebound from the backcourt and defend multiple positions at his size stands out and should help him make a significant impact as soon as his freshman season at the next level.

If Washington lives up to expectations, Kentucky should quickly return to its winning ways come March.

While John Calipari is running a national powerhouse program, the Wildcats were an ugly 9-16 last season and missed the Big Dance. They are well positioned to bounce back from that showing and make a deep run in 2021-22 with their new point guard on the roster.

Five-star center Efton Reid, who is ranked 24th on 247Sports' composite rankings for the boys' high school basketball class of 2021, has chosen to attend LSU.  

He announced it Sunday:

The highly-touted prospect chose the Tigers out of a number of offers, with Florida State, NC State and Virginia leading the list.

Reid, who is listed third among Class of 2021 centers, per 247Sports, plays for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

The 6'11", 225-pound big man out of Richmond, Virginia, received the following scouting report from 247Sports director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer, who called Reid a second-round NBA draft prospect:

"Has NBA center size. Game is skill based and not athletically based. Has good footwork and touch in post. Can stretch defense to three-point line. Comfortable with the ball as a passer. Has good hands and rebounds his area. Not a big shot blocker. Positional defender inside. Needs to improve quickness to defend on perimeter."

Seven-foot big men who can stretch defenses out to the three-point arc are great assets in a small-ball era where an abundance of three-pointers is commonplace, so Reid could be a fantastic addition for the Tigers as they look to compete for the NCAA Division I men's title.

Kentucky lost a key recruit Friday, as guard Nolan Hickman Jr. decommitted from the school. 

Jack Pilgrim of Kentucky Sports Radio reported that Hickman's father informed the outlet of the decision.

Hickman is rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports, as well as the No. 29 overall player, No. 4 point guard and No. 1 player from the state of Utah in the 2021 recruiting class.

The Mount Pleasant, Utah, native starred at Wasatch Academy and was one of the Wildcats' best commits before deciding against playing under head coach John Calipari at Kentucky.

Per 247Sports, Hickman was the second-ranked recruit in the 2021 class to have signed a letter of intent with Kentucky behind power forward Daimion Collins, who is ranked 10th nationally. No. 30-ranked Bryce Hopkins has signed a letter of intent as well.

Additionally, Kentucky has landed a pair of 4-star transfers in power forward Oscar Tshiebwe from West Virginia and point guard Kellan Grady from Davidson.

As part of his analysis for Hickman last year, 247Sports national recruiting analyst Josh Gershon lauded his competitiveness, mental makeup and scoring, facilitating and defensive ability. Gershon called Hickman an "easy high major starter with NBA upside."

Hickman would have had a legitimate chance to play big minutes for the Wildcats as a freshman, but Calipari must now turn to some other backcourt options.

The aforementioned Grady could be Calipari's top point guard in 2021-22, while returning sophomore Devin Askew is in line for a heavy workload as well despite a tough freshman campaign in which he averaged just 6.5 points and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting 34.5 percent from the field.

The 2020-21 season was a nightmarish one for Kentucky as a whole, as it went just 9-16 and missed the NCAA tournament for only the second time in 11 years under Calipari.

Losing a player with Hickman's potential could make bouncing back an even more difficult endeavor for the Wildcats.

Kentucky head men's basketball coach John Calipari wrote an open letter Friday sharing his thoughts following the death of former Wildcats guard Terrence Clarke on Thursday.

Calipari published the letter on his website and fondly remembered Clarke as a positive and loving person and player:

"His heart was overflowing with love for his family, his friends and his teammates. He was as caring of a person as I have ever coached. His enthusiasm and energy–not just for basketball, for life–are what we all hope to have in our journey. Terrence had figured that part out–that if you wake up every day with a smile on your face and a joy in everything you do, this life is beautiful. 

"I think that is part of the reason why you see unbelievable magnitude of heartache today from everyone across our game and our country. Terrence had that spirit about him that rubbed off on every single person that was fortunate to cross paths with him. He was the person everyone wanted to be around and the guy everyone gravitated to."

Calipari also noted that he recently felt that he should reach out to the Kentucky players who weren't going to be returning next season, including Clarke, but he never got a chance to do it. That's left him feeling regret but taught him an important lesson.

"What I will learn from this is that when you want to tell someone how you feel or just want to talk to them, don't wait," he wrote. "Don't wait for tomorrow to put your arms around someone and tell them you love them or that you're thinking about them. Every day we have is a gift."

Per ESPN, Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. John Matassa announced Thursday that Clarke died in a car accident in L.A.

Matassa said Clarke ran a red light "at a very high rate of speed" before colliding with a vehicle, light pole and block wall. The person driving the other vehicle was uninjured.

In a statement released after Clarke's death, Calipari said he was "gutted and sick."

Calipari summed up his relationship with Clarke in the letter: "I loved Terrence Clarke and I was hard on Terrence Clarke. I made sure he knew both because I would tell him. I wanted what was best for him, and there is no doubt in my mind that he was headed towards greatness."

Clarke was a freshman at Kentucky this past season, but he was limited to just eight games due to injury. In those games, Clarke averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

The talented guard from Boston declared for the 2021 NBA draft at the conclusion of the season and hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports as his agent.

Former Kentucky men's basketball star Terrence Clarke died following a car crash in Los Angeles on Thursday, his agent, Rich Paul, confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Clarke was 19 years old. 

"I am absolutely gutted and sick tonight," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said in a statement. "A young person who we all love has just lost his life too soon, one with all of his dreams and hopes ahead of him. Terrence Clarke was a beautiful kid, someone who owned the room with his personality, smile and joy. People gravitated to him, and to hear we have lost him is just hard for all of us to comprehend right now. We are all in shock."

The Boston native was reportedly working out in Southern California in preparation for the 2021 NBA draft prior to the crash. After one season with the Wildcats, Clarke announced he was turning pro and signing with an agent. 

News of Clarke's death was immediately felt across both college and pro basketball with many taking to Twitter to mourn the loss.

A 6'7" guard who averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in eight games with Kentucky, Clarke was expected to play a significant role before an ankle injury ended his regular season in late December. He appeared in the team's SEC tournament loss to Mississippi State, playing 10 minutes in the second-round loss.

Regardless of the small sample size, scouts thought highly enough of his talents for the teenager to attempt a leap to the NBA. 

The Brewster Academy alum was a ranked a five-star recruit by 247Sports, which named him the No. 8 player overall in the class of 2020 and the No. 2 shooting guard in the nation. The outlet's director of basketball scouting reported Clarke had lottery-pick potential and compared favorably to the Detroit Pistons' Josh Jackson. 

After being named a McDonald's All-American in high school, Clarke selected Kentucky over offers from Baylor, UConn, Illinois, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse, UCLA, Duke, Michigan and Villanova. 

In announcing his decision to turn pro, Clarke said having the opportunity to play for the Wildcats was a "lifelong goal" and the experience was one he would keep with him forever. 

Florida Gators star Keyontae Johnson will not enter the NBA draft this year, announcing on Twitter that he's still awaiting medical clearance to begin playing basketball again after suffering a medical emergency during a game in December:

"I am progressing and steadily making progress daily in my health," Johnson wrote. "I am patiently waiting on my medical clearance. While speaking with my family, doctors, coaches and athletic trainer I've decided not to enter my name into the 2021 NBA draft. I plan to keep working to prepare for the upcoming season."

Johnson, 21, collapsed on the court during a road game against Florida State on December 12. The forward was initially listed in critical condition and placed in a medically induced coma but was able to begin communicating with others a few days later. Neither Johnson nor the Gators have disclosed the cause of his collapse, though his family did announce it was not related to COVID-19.

The Virginia native was named first-team All-SEC in 2020 after posting 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 31 contests that year. The media picked him as the SEC's Preseason Men's Basketball Player of the Year ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

In his three full appearances in 2021, the forward logged 19.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. 

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie had Johnson as a mid-second round pick on his 2020 draft board and moved him up to No. 14 in 2021 ahead of the college basketball season: 

"NBA evaluators were surprised when Johnson decided not to enter the 2020 NBA Draft, as many thought he had a chance to turn into a late first-round pick after going through even the truncated process. Again, NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for wings who do two things: defend multiple positions and shoot. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Johnson is a tank who can hit shots from distance, and then guard 1 through 4 at the collegiate level. By the end of SEC play last year, Johnson was one of the five best players in the conference and clearly earned All-SEC honors. Look for more of the same this year, and I’d expect he goes in round one in 2021."

Ranked the No. 69 overall recruit in the class of 2018 by 247Sports, Johnson picked Florida over offers from Minnesota, Texas Tech, Boston College and Wichita State. 

It's unclear when Johnson could return to the court. 

North Carolina star Garrison Brooks will continue his career at Mississippi State, he announced Thursday.

Brooks entered the transfer portal last week. 

The 6'10" center averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for the Tar Heels after being named ACC Preseason Player of the Year going into the 2020-21 season.

His decision to transfer came after legendary head coach Roy Williams announced his retirement following 18 seasons at the helm of the Tar Heels. 

Despite just wrapping up his senior year, Brooks will have an extra year of eligibility, which was granted to student-athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Throughout his career with the Tar Heels, he made 108 starts and appeared in 133 games, averaging 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. His best campaign came during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, when he posted 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds en route to earning second-team All-ACC honors. 

The Alabama native originally signed with Mississippi State as a 4-star recruit out of high school but decommitted and enrolled at UNC instead.

His father, George Brooks, is an assistant with Mississippi State, a role he has held for the past 11 seasons. He is the third-longest-tenured assistant in program history. 

Tennessee received a marquee commitment Thursday from 5-star power forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.

High school and college basketball recruiting reporter Joe Tipton reported that Huntley-Hatfield told him he had committed to the Volunteers and is reclassifying from the 2022 class to 2021.  

Prior to reclassifying, Huntley-Hatfield was ranked as the No. 6 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022. He was also listed as the top power forward and the best player out of the state of Pennsylvania.

The 6'9", 230-pound post player is a high-energy, two-way contributor who should be one of the best rebounders in the class. His offensive versatility has grown to include an outside shot, and he sports the length and athleticism to guard multiple positions defensively.

Huntley-Hatfield, who transferred from the famed IMG Academy to the Scotland Performance Institute in the middle of his high school career, generated interest from several top programs.

In August, he explained in a Sports Illustrated blog he wanted to take his time making the right choice.

"It's a big decision to pick a school to spend at least nine months of your life, and in that time it could determine whether or not you achieve your ultimate goal," Huntley-Hatfield wrote.

As his comments suggest, if his development continues at its current rate, he'll likely be a one-and-done college player before heading for the NBA draft.

Huntley-Hatfield should be an instant-impact performer for head coach Rick Barnes and the Vols. It's too early to say whether that'll be as a starter or the first player off the bench, but he should still see plenty of minutes as a freshman in either role.

Either way, it's a major pickup for Tennessee that will help provide hype ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Tennessee has qualified for the NCAA tournament in each of the past three years it has been held, and with Huntley-Hatfield in the fold, the Volunteers could be in line to go on a deep run next season if he is as good as advertised.

The Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 during the 2021 Big Dance, and head coach Eric Musselman reportedly received a contract extension as a result.

On Wednesday, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported Musselman and the SEC program finalized a deal that will pay the coach more than $4 million per year and runs through the 2025-26 campaign.

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) reported the pact also features two one-year automatic agreement clauses that could extend the contract through the 2027-28 season. They vest if Arkansas receives bids to the NCAA men's tournament during the new extension.

"Coach Musselman earned this opportunity based on the tremendous progress that he and his coaching staff have made in the past two seasons, culminating with the most exciting season in the recent history of Razorback basketball," athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.

In Musselman's first two seasons with the Razorbacks, he went 20-12 in 2019-20 and 25-7 in 2020-21.

That he found such success wasn't surprising given his accomplishments in four years at Nevada. Musselman led the Wolf Pack to three Mountain West regular-season titles, one Mountain West tournament title and three NCAA tournaments.

Nevada also made the Big Dance in 2017 after nine straight seasons without an appearance and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2018.

Arkansas appears primed to continue its success.

It checked in at No. 15 in Bleacher Report's Top 25 for the 2021-22 season and No. 12 and No. 5 in the Top 25s of ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

Arkansas is finalizing a multiyear contract with men's basketball coach Eric Musselman, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

The Razorbacks went 20-12 in Musselman's first season before winning 25 games and reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 in 2020-21.

Arkansas originally gave Musselman a five-year contract in April 2019. He received a $2.5 million annual salary, which was reduced to $2.33 million amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That put him 49th in Division I, per USA Today.

While Musselman hasn't been in Fayetteville for very long, his success at Arkansas and Nevada—the Wolf Pack made the Sweet 16 in 2018—has catapulted his stock skyward.

USA Today's Paul Myerberg argued in March the 56-year-old would be a good target for Indiana before the Hoosiers hired Mike Woodson. Mike Fisher of Longhorns Country reported he was among the fallbacks for Texas if the school was unable to land Chris Beard. The Arizona Daily Star's Bruce Pascoe reported he had also "generated interest" from Arizona.

It doesn't seem as though Arkansas was in imminent danger of losing Musselman, but the school couldn't afford to take any chances. Officials may have felt pressed to act after Alabama handed Nate Oats an extension through 2026-27 worth $3.2 million per season.

Nolan Richardson made the Razorbacks nationally relevant in the 1990s, delivering a national title in 1994 and a runner-up finish in 1995. For the most part, the program languished in mediocrity following Richardson's firing in 2002.

Expecting Musselman to deliver a national championship is probably asking a bit too much, but he clearly has things going in the right direction.